Anatomy of a Good Direct Mail Campaign

Here are 5 ingredients essential to a successful direct mail campaign:

1. A Targeted Mailing List
Your mailing list is the #1 factor in the success of any direct mail campaign. If your targeted audience is wrong, even the best of pieces will receive little to no response. Research the demographics of your current customers and develop a targeted list based on those characteristics. Be sure to update your list regularly and don't get tunnel vision - continually redefine and adapt your list.

2. A Simple Message
You only have a few seconds to get your customers' attention - do it with a simple, powerful message that clearly explains what you're selling and the benefits. Use potent words that paint a vivid picture.

3. A Compelling Offer
Offers come in all shapes and sizes - a discount, a free trial, promotional items, or coupons. Not surprisingly, consumers are increasingly interested in coupons. According to a DM News/Pitney Bowes survey on direct mail, as many as 94% of consumers say they took action on promotional offers and coupons received in the mail.

4. A Clear Call to Action
Make it easy to do business with you. Lay out exactly what you want the recipient to do - call, email or visit. Give recipients options. One very effective option is incorporating a Personalized URL or pURL into your mail piece. Be sure to design the call to action so it's clear and easy to follow.

5. A Follow-up Mailing or Email
In today's busy world, your recipients will miss your message 2 out of every 3 times. So repetition is crucial - the more they see your message, the likelier they are to buy. For the highest response rates, mail multiple times. At the very least, follow up your mailing with a phone call, an email, or a second mailer within two weeks.

A Bonus Ingredient - testing, testing, and more testing
Many variables can affect the response to a mailing - the list, the offer, the price, etc. Try mailing only a few hundred or thousand pieces to refine these variables before rolling out a big mailing.